The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1123 [Lone Flower Bloom in the Battlefield]

The avatars of Athena hovered in the air, radiating immense power. They held back the armies of the Titans, Giants, and members of the Gluttony Army, preventing them from pursuing the people of Athenʼs Champion.

There were only four avatars—but they were more than enough. Each was formidable in their own right.

As power surged from the main body, the flower-shaped tattoo on one avatarʼs shoulder began to glow brightly.

Ohm...

The forbidden Grid.

A power sealed away, too dangerous to be unleashed.

[Lone Flower Bloom in the Battlefield]!

Athena stood suspended in the air, radiating an overwhelming energy. To any mortal who dared look upon her, she appeared only as a distortion—the sheer pressure of her aura too immense to perceive clearly.

[First Sequence: Regards to the Heroes]!

”Grid…” Esquin muttered, squinting his eyes.

Then, something strange happened.

All beings who had survived the initial burst of power suddenly raised their swords.

”What is this?!”

”I canʼt control my body!”

”Help!!”

One by one, they dropped to their knees, eyes locked on the mighty Goddess Athena. The light around her intensified, shining with divine brilliance. And then, in perfect unison, they began to pray.

”Oh, mighty Goddess, we honor you in all things! Please, bless us with your might!”

Without hesitation, they plunged their weapons deep into their hearts or throats. A chorus of screams echoed across the battlefield as the tragic ritual unfolded across the land.

Blood splattered in all directions.

Eventually, all sound faded, leaving only the mournful whistle of the wind.

[Second Sequence: Sacrificial Heart]!

”N-No!!”

Esquin turned his head and saw the female Titan beside him, her face twisted in terror.

She raised one trembling hand and drove it deep into her chest. Then, with her other hand, she severed her own head.

Bang!!

A tremendous surge of energy burst from her body, distorting the space around her until it cracked.

”It canʼt be… I…”

Her face was etched with unwillingness as her life force slipped away, her will dissolving into nothingness.

”Destruction of the divine…?” Esquin muttered, frowning at the sight of the fallen God-rank Titan beside him. Then, a strange sensation began to crawl across his being. He chuckled bitterly.

”It can even affect the different concepts embedded in my body…”

He raised his hand, now cloaked in darkness. With one last glance toward Athena, he plunged his fist into his heart.

Bang!!

A thunderous sound echoed as Esquinʼs energy erupted like a tsunami.

He, along with the God-rank Titan, collapsed to the ground.

Only Athena remained, floating alone in the sky. Her solitary figure stood calm and unmoving above a land soaked in blood, littered with countless corpses.

Her hair swayed gently in the wind as flowers began to bloom from the bodies below. One by one, crimson blossoms sprouted—until the entire battlefield was covered in a sea of beautiful, blood-red flowers.

The power of her Grid.

[Lone Flower Bloom in the Battlefield].

Ally or enemy—it made no difference.

All would be affected.

Ohm!!

A crimson flower tattoo bloomed on Athenaʼs left shoulder. She cast it a brief glance before a massive crimson flower materialized before her, pulsing with energy as it slowly unfurled.

Inside it lay a figure—sleeping, serene—with the exact same appearance as Athena.

”Another avatar…”

She was unlike the other Gods. Athena could only create avatars through the power of her Grid. Each avatar represented a time she had invoked that power. Moreover, the strength of each avatar varied, shaped by the nature of the beings affected by her ability.

Thus, her avatars differed in power—each a unique manifestation of the Gridʼs resonance.

Athena hovered alone above the ruined land, her avatars standing silently at her side.

The very fabric of space around them was fractured. Cracks split the air, and chaotic distortions bled violent waves of energy—deadly to any mortal who approached.

It was a land on the brink of collapse.

...

In the far distance, beyond the borders of the Land of Eternal Spring—

Souta, Alice, Kyveli, and countless others could feel the intensity of the energy waves rippling through the air. Even though they were far from the Acropolis, the pressure still reached them.

The power of the Gods.

ʼAll dead…ʼ Souta thought to himself.

He had seen it before—firsthand. Goddess Athenaʼs ability didnʼt spare anything. Every living being within its range was annihilated. If they hadnʼt escaped in time, the outcome wouldʼve been the same for them.

”This is my first time witnessing something like this…” Vashno muttered, his voice low.

”Letʼs go,” Souta said firmly.

There was no going back to the Acropolis. The land had been ravaged by Athenaʼs power—too unstable, too dangerous. With their current strength, returning would be suicide.

...

News spread swiftly across Olympus: the Acropolis of Athens had been left in ruins after Goddess Athena unleashed her godly ability. Countless mortals were shocked, but the gods had known this was coming—Zeus had already lifted the ban on her Grid.

If she were to use it, she would have to fight alone.

Many people began to worry about the future. No one could say whether their homeland might become the next battlefield. All they could do was hope that this war would end soon.

Meanwhile, in the Championʼs Den...

Souta, Vashno, and Alice sat around a table, quietly sharing a meal.

Vashno glanced at Souta and asked, ”Should we take a break—or go on another mission?”

”Weʼll take a break,” Souta replied calmly.

It had been three days since the events at the Acropolis. Most of the warriors from Athenʼs Champions were now stationed here or deployed elsewhere across the Land of Eternal Spring.

The war against the Titans was still ongoing.

Ever since that day, Goddess Athena had not shown herself—not even to the Division Commanders or the Heroes.

”Iʼll ask the Division Commander if we can return to the Hall Plains,” Souta said, glancing at the others.

Vashno and Alice nodded in agreement, offering no objections.

Souta closed his eyes, contemplating what lay ahead. His overall plan hadnʼt changed—but some parts would need to be adjusted.

After a moment, he opened his eyes.

”Weʼll accelerate the things that need to be done,” he said. ”Weʼll gather more resources to strengthen our people. Given the current situation, itʼs better to gain power while we can.”

His next move was clear: he would begin building his base in the Land of Vanko, deep within the Dream Realm.

Souta then inquired about Vashno and Aliceʼs current strength. Their combat capabilities were impressive.

Vashno had recently reached the Sixth Shackle Realm. His Elemental Power was at the peak of the Integration Stage, and he had also awakened his Dream Power. Currently, his main focus was mastering the techniques he had acquired during his expedition.

The [Nine Layers Golden Purple Destruction] had reached the third layer, and he had already learned most of the techniques tied to it, including [Golden Incineration]. This skill set had significantly elevated his overall combat effectiveness.

Alice was equally formidable. Her Elemental Power and Dream Power matched Vashnoʼs, and her arsenal included various high-level techniques. On top of that, she possessed demonic prowess—an innate power that could reveal her true strength, though it could only be fully activated under specific environmental conditions.

What they both lacked now were high-level artifacts—ideally, dark-grade or, if possible, universal-grade items.

Alice had one, but Vashno didnʼt possess a single high-grade artifact.

ʼA place where a high-grade artifact can be found…ʼ Souta rubbed his chin, digging through his memories.

Most locations rumored to hold such artifacts were perilous—even for him. That was one of the reasons he had held back from claiming any for himself.

Hmm... If only I knew where the other players found theirs…

Souta sighed quietly to himself.

Suddenly, he felt something vibrating in his pocket. It came from the transmission talisman.

”Wait—someoneʼs trying to reach me…”

He pulled the talisman out and poured a small amount of his energy into it.

Soon, a voice came through the talisman.

”L-Lord Souta... thereʼs a problem. Please, help us! We need your strength!”

The urgency in the voice was unmistakable.

Soutaʼs mind immediately connected the voice to a familiar name. Memories of past events flashed through his mind in an instant.

”Jamine, calm down. Tell me slowly—what happened?”

Of course—it was Jamine. The representative of the Astros Empire, the kingdom that had risen from the ashes of the Great Astley Empireʼs destruction.

Since then, Souta had had no contact with them. The only communication had been through Torkez, who received technological intelligence from the Astros Empire to help improve the Guardian Fortress.

If she was calling him, it had to be important—otherwise, she wouldnʼt have bothered.

On the other end, Jamine took a deep breath and began to carefully explain what had happened.

Souta listened quietly, not interrupting. Vashno and Alice remained silent as well, attentive to Jamineʼs voice. Vashno didnʼt know Jamine—he hadnʼt been around then—but Alice recognized her.

After a while, Jamine finished her report and fell silent.

”Hm… Got it. Donʼt worry, Iʼll head there,” Souta assured her.

The situation on their side was dire.